


To Lose Everything And Then Gain Something Back

by ElisaPhoenix



Series: Marvel What If's [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Dead May Parker (Spider-Man), Gen, Homeless Peter Parker, Hypothermia, Muteness, Other, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Peter Parker, Sassy Peter, Spider-Man: Far From Home (Movie) Spoilers, Stephen Strange & Wong Friendship, Stephen Strange Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Wong is a Good Bro (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-07-21 04:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19995700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElisaPhoenix/pseuds/ElisaPhoenix
Summary: Stephen was just out getting lunch. He didn't imagine he would be returning to the Sanctum with a teenager as well.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is NOT connected to Supreme Family Chaos but will still dip into the Mama Bear trope.

Wong nearly had to throw him out of the Sanctum so Stephen would stop hiding away after the events of the war with Thanos. He had been wallowing in guilt and continuously blamed himself for the death of Tony Stark, even though after fourteen million different timelines it was the only one they had won. Wong had tried to convince him that Stephen was in no way at fault, but the Sorcerer Supreme was stubborn. He was convinced that it _was_ his fault that Earth lost its best defender.

The other sorcerer eventually got fed up and told Stephen to take a walk and pick up some lunch for them on the way back. Not that he had much choice. Wong literally pushed him out the door while simultaneously throwing a winter coat at him, and the cloak barely had enough time to follow its master and take the form of a scarf. The walk helped. It did. Just not with his self loathing. Stephen walked around for a little bit, and when an hour had passed, he had decided it was long enough and Wong would let him back in as long as he brought lunch.

He was halfway to the Sanctum with a bag of sandwiches, when the cloak (in scarf form) nearly choked him by pulling him in the direction of an alleyway. Once it had the sorcerer's attention, it unraveled itself from the man's neck and floated into the alley, causing Stephen to sigh.

"What has your attention? It better not be another cat." Stephen grumbles.

The cloak had gotten his full attention when it fluttered frantically over someone half hidden behind some empty cardboard boxes, and from Stephen's angle, completely motionless. The cloak never concerned itself with the homeless before so he had to wonder if it was someone he knew. With that thought, Stephen slowly crouches in front of the body and reaches out to carefully peel away the scarf wrapped around the person's nose and mouth, and immediately feels his blood run cold. It _was_ someone he knew. Someone he had fought beside just months (and years) ago.

It was Peter.

And he was cold to the touch.

Stephen presses shaking fingers against the teen's pulse point and sighs with relief when he finds a faint heartbeat. He would have to act fast though because it was fading by the second. Thank the Vishanti Wong didn't have the mind to take his sling ring. Stephen opens a portal after throwing the bag of sandwiches to the still hovering scarf, and scoops the icy teen into his arms before stepping though the portal. It closes behind him once the cloak follows him and Stephen takes the stairs two at a time before heading to his bedroom.

"WONG!" He shouts and shoulders his bedroom door open before carefully depositing his burden onto his bed.

He was halfway through getting the top part of Peter's clothes off when the other sorcerer walked in, and the man narrows his eyes. To be fair, it was a little bit of a suspicious scene, but once he caught a glimpse of who exactly Stephen was undressing, Wong was more understanding.

"I said bring lunch, not a kid."  
Stephen glares at Wong over his shoulder. "I did bring lunch! The cloak has it, I need you to bring me some extra blankets."

Wong stays a little longer when Stephen finally pulls the teen's shirt off and nearly tears off his own, and leaves the room when the Sorcerer Supreme yanks back the bedcovers and climbs into the bed. He lays down, pulls the blankets over himself and Peter as high as possible, and then grimaces when he finally pulls the boy against his bare chest. It was like cuddling with an ice cube. Wong returned briefly with a couple extra blankets that he helped lay on top of the comforter, and after turning on the small television for Stephen, went back to the Sanctum's library.

It took an hour for Peter to _finally_ respond to his body warmth, and it came out as a pleased sigh and the teen getting even closer to Stephen. Any other day, the sorcerer would feel uncomfortable with a situation like this, but it was quite literally a life or death situation for Peter. At the moment, he was a doctor.

Peter didn't wake up for another couple of hours, and when he did, he slowly blinked his eyes open, and furrowed his eyebrows when he found himself staring at a pale collarbone. Stephen didn't move when the teen suddenly ripped himself away from his head source and stared at him before sitting up to look around and take in his surroundings. Something bothered Stephen though as Peter processed his new situation...and it was that the teen hadn't said a word. He knew for a fact that the kid had a bit of a motormouth, even in battle, so he was expecting Peter to stumble over apologies as soon as he woke up.

But nothing.

Stephen finally sat up and held his hands out to calm the panic rising in brown eyes. "It's alright. You're safe. I found you nearly frozen in an alley and brought you to the Sanctum to warm yoh back up." The panic thankfully subsides a bit and Stephen lowers one of his hands, the other moving up to rub his eyes. "Peter...why aren't you at home with your aunt?"

Stephen pulls his hand away just in time to catch a pained expression leave the boy's face, but Peter still says nothing as he turns his attention down to his hands. So, something must have happened with May? He had met her briefly at the funeral and she was a kind woman that didn't seem the type to kick Peter out for anything, so Stephen had to assume the worst. Perhaps May was gone and the teen was homeless now? He was sixteen though. He was still young enough to be put into the system.

Oh.

"I want you to drink something warm. I hope you like tea." Stephen says as he moves out from under the covers and to his feet, putting his shirt back on. Peter merely responds with a nod. "Lay down and rest. I'll be right back."

Stephen didn't stick around for any kind of affirmation though. He was more concerned about getting Peter something hot to drink and something to eat. He couldn't have been out on the streets for long, but he had felt thin and Stephen had to wonder just how many spider attributes the teen took on from the spider bite he had mentioned while they were on Titan. He was in the middle of brewing tea when Wong walked into the kitchen with his arms folded.

"Spiderman right?" He asks calmly.  
"Yes."  
"What happened?"  
"I'm not sure. He was half frozen in an alleyway and I only found him because of the cloak."  
Wong frowns. "Shouldn't he be at home?"  
Stephen grabs the bag from earlier and looks inside to find his sandwich still in it. "I asked him the same thing, but he's not talking. He gave the impression that something happened though so I can only assume the worst."  
"Is he staying?"  
"For now. Will that be a problem?" Stephen asks with a raised eyebrow.  
"No. I just need to prepare myself for a little more noise. He may not talk but I've seen that kid fight. He's probably clumsy."

Stephen chuckles. For a kid that could crawl on walls, he had seen Peter trip over his own feet a couple of times. There were probably rooms in the Sanctum the sorcerers should make off limits to the teen.

"Maybe he should stay. That's the first time I've seen you smile in _months_." Wong says before turning and leaving the kitchen.

The smile falls slightly from Stephen's face as he makes his way back to his bedroom, and he finds Peter curled up under the covers watching the tv blankly. A far cry from what he was used to on the boy. This was a kid that drove Tony crazy with pop-culture references, and now acted as if his world had crumbled around him. Which, to be fair, it had. Tony had obviously been a father figure to Peter, and he was gone. If Stephen's earlier assumptions were correct, so was May.

Peter had no one.

Stephen kind of felt like he could relate.

"Here." The sorcerer holds out the mug of tea and the bag containing his sandwich. "Finish both." Peter sits up and takes the tea but looks at the bag skeptically. As if he knew that it was supposed to be Stephen's lunch. "I imagine you need it more than I do right now. I can wait until dinner."

The teen slowly takes the bag and pulls out the sandwich, and Stephen blinks in surprise when the teen hands half of it back to the sorcerer. _This kid_. He didn't argue though. As long as Peter ate something, Stephen would agree to the terms. He could always make sure that Peter had extra at dinner. The tea on the other hand? The teen barely brought the mug to his lips before he made the most disgusted look on his face and gave it back to Stephen who looks at him incredulously.

"I thought you said tea was fine?" The doctor takes the mug back. "Peppermint is usually something everyone likes." Peter scrunches his nose when Stephen mentions peppermint and a proverbial lightbulb flicks on. "A trait from the spider bite I take it?" Peter nods and Stephen sets the wrapped half of his sandwich on the nightstand. "Green tea with honey?" Another nod. "Alright."

It didn't take long to make the new cup of tea, the peppermint given to Wong with the promise that it was poisoned (The other sorcerer just rolled his eyes when he accepted it), and Stephen returned to his room to give it to Peter. His half of the sandwich already gone and eyeing the other half he had given back. Stephen sits on the bed with his own cup of tea and grabs the other sandwich half off the nightstand to silently offer back to Peter while figuring out what the teen was watching on tv. To his relief, the young Avenger took it and tore into it. Peter probably didn't realise how hungry he was until he ate his half.

Once the sandwich was a distant memory, they sat in comfortable silence with only the noise of the tv to fill the room, and drank their tea. Stephen had chalked up Peter's silence to be partially from shock, and partially from emotional pain, but he would have to try to coax some kind of explanation from the boy soon. If May was truly gone, Stephen would have to go about getting things taken care of. Peter obviously didn't want to go into the foster system and he couldn't blame him. The teen was a mutant super human and that could be hard to hide. From what he knew, he somehow managed to keep the secret from May for about a year before she found out. Now he had nowhere safe to go, but Stephen would offer that to him if he needed it. Peter was respectful and wasn't helpless (if anyone attacked the Sanctum).

Peter's head lolls onto the sorcerer's shoulder, distracting the man from his thoughts, and he peers down to find the teen fast asleep. His mug still in his hands but empty. Stephen carefully moves the boy back down onto his back and lays the comforter over him, sits back against the headboard with a refilled mug of tea and crosses his ankles, and then returns his attention to the movie playing on the tv.

By the Vishanti...he was going soft.


	2. Chapter 2

After the teen's impromptu nap after lunch the day before, Stephen had found a spare bedroom for Peter and cleaned it up so the boy could comfortably make himself at home. Not that Peter had much to begin with. Whatever he owned was sitting in an apartment in Queens that he couldn't go back to because it was the first place child services would look. Stephen would have to do something about them soon. Peter couldn't run from them forever and the doctor wouldn't let the teen miss out on school once it started up again. Which from a bit of searching online, he discovered was only a few days away.

Even though Peter wasn't speaking, he at least ate whatever Stephen put in front of him. At the moment, he was shoveling down some pancakes the sorcerer had made, Stephen eating his own at a more sedate pace while reading a book. He figured bringing up the current situation would scare Peter away and he really didn't want to find the kid half frozen again. But springing a surprise meeting with social services on the teen would backfire. Stephen would just need to ease him into the idea.

"Peter." Stephen starts softly and waits until he has the boy's attention. "I'm taking a guess but...I'm assuming that something has happened to your aunt and now you have a social worker looking for you." Peter freezes up as he reaches for his glass of orange juice. "Am I right?"

Stephen jumps when the glass in Peter's hand shatters in his grasp, sending orange juice and shards of glass across the table. The teen whimpers both at the reminder of his newly gone guardian and the fact that his hand was shredded from the pieces embedded in his palm with the orange juice adding to the burn. The teen stares at his hand as blood trickles off of it and onto the table and Stephen swears quietly as he rushes to grab the first aid kit from the bathroom. When he returns to the kitchen, he finds Peter in the exact position he had left him in and sighs as he focuses his magic into his own hands so he can tend to the teen with a steady hand.

Peter watches numbly as Stephen pulls his previously vacated chair closer to the boy and gently takes his hand to start pulling shards of glass out of it.

"Is that a yes?" Stephen asks and receives a single sharp nod. "I understand why you don't want to go into the system. I imagine you have needs that can't be met with a regular family. Such as the amount of food you put away. Fast metabolism?" Another nod. "I'm also guessing that you have trouble thermoregulating. Have you had trouble staying warm in the winter?" 

Peter nods again and winces when Stephen applies some antiseptic before wrapping the teen's hand in a bandage. It thankfully didn't look to need stitches. Yes and no questions were working, and thankfully Peter was willing to answer those. 

"Will this heal by tonight? I recall you saying something about a healing factor a while back." The teen nods. "Ok. Good. Now look at me." Peter does. "Do you want to stay here?"

To the doctor's surprise, the teen looked conflicted. As if he wanted to stay but something was keeping him from nodding. Then he remembered, Peter was respectful. Stubborn. The type that wouldn't want to intrude on people's lives. He had lived on the streets instead of asking for help (although Peter probably didn't know who he could go to), and was being considerate of future families that might not be able to keep up with his metabolism. Feeding him wouldn't be cheap.

"If I didn't think I could help you, I wouldn't have offered." Stephen finally says after a few more seconds of silence, and Peter finally nods. "Alright. I'll find the social worker and set up a meeting. We'll get that straightened out and then figure things out from there." 

Stephen cleans up the mess on the table, and returns the first aid kit to its proper place after getting Peter another glass of juice. The teen had drained it and then tried to do the dishes, but the sorcerer had stopped him and told him that although he was grateful, Peter needed to keep his hand dry. Stephen then gave him permission to explore the Sanctum as long as he was careful, or that he could go into Stephen's room and watch tv. Assuming things went well, things could be brought from Peter's apartment and he wouldn't have to get things to keep the teen entertained. Sure, Stephen would have to buy him new things over time, but at least magic was helpful in keeping the kitchen stocked.

As he finished with the dishes, Stephen had nearly froze in his spot when he realized the one person Peter might have gone to... _if he were alive_. Tony. The doctor had been so distracted with Peter that for a moment, he forgot about his guilt. His self-loathing. Now it was coming back twofold. Because of _him_ , Peter felt he had no one to go to. He resorted to running and almost died for it.

Stephen was almost responsible for another death.

"Stop that." Wong's voice interrupts his thoughts and Stephen looks up from his trembling hands at the fellow sorcerer. "The only one who blames you is yourself. If that kid blamed you, he would have left." He takes the remaining pancakes and sits at the table with them. "Normally I would tell you that a kid doesn't belong here, but he's different. He's keeping you distracted from your thoughts. Quiet too."  
Stephen smirks. "He won't stay mute forever Wong."  
"Still a distraction." The other says before shoving a forkful of pancakes into his mouth. "Also means you cook more."

Stephen scoffs and pulls his phone out of his pocket to set up a meeting with Peter's social worker, which of course took ages because he didn't know their personal number. He had to go through the main number and mention Peter before he was directed to the right agent, and was surprised when the woman on the other end of the call said she could meet with him immediately. Okay. A little faster than he thought, but it was best to get this over with so the teen could relax and heal.

When they agree on a time at her office (which was as soon as possible), Stephen hangs up and returns his phone to his pocket as he steps back out to the foyer. "Peter?" He calls out, knowing the teen could hear him. He was aware of the enhanced hearing. Stephen waits a few moments until the teen finally appears at the top of the stairs. "Come on. We're seeing your social worker a lot sooner than I thought."

Peter squirms for a few moments but nods as he descends the stairs with the cloak following him. The teen must have opted to explore and the cloak took it upon itself to keep an eye on Peter. At least if anything happened, it would be able to tell Stephen.

The Sorcerer Supreme opens a portal near the social worker's office building, out of prying eyes of course, and they walk the rest of the way as quickly as possible so Peter doesn't freeze again. He was lacking a proper coat and only had a hoodie to speak of and that didn't do much in below zero weather. Once they were inside, Peter moved even closer to Stephen and stayed behind him the entire way to the office. When the reached the correct door though, the teen had reached out and grabbed the doctor's sleeve in apprehension.

He was terrified.

Stephen said nothing though as he rapped his knuckles on the door and then opens the door when prompted. The woman sitting on the other side of the desk moves to her feet and immediately thrusts her hand out for Stephen to shake. Peter just moved farther behind the man.

"Doctor Strange, yes? Kate Grey. Sit, please." Kate motions to the chairs but Stephen remains standing.  
"I would rather get to the point and be out of here as soon as possible."  
"Yes, I understand. Thank you for finding Peter and returning him--" The teen freezes behind Stephen at the false insinuation and the sorcerer cuts off Kate before she can do anymore damage.  
"I am not _returning him_ , I just want to know what needs to happen so he can stay with me. He has special needs that families won't be able to keep up with. Especially when most people are still recovering from the decimation."  
Kate gives him a disbelieving look. "There's nothing in his records about special needs."  
Stephen turns to the teen behind him. "Show her." Peter's eyes widen and the doctor lowers his voice so only the teen can hear. "I will take care of those memories once things are settled, I promise."

After some hesitancy, Peter kicks off his shoes after Stephen uses his magic to close the blinds, and walks over to a bare wall. The show of magic was enough to have Kate reeling, but she then covers her mouth when the teen scales the wall and up to the ceiling where he stops directly over Stephen.

"Peter is Spiderman. He has a fast metabolism so he eats a lot more than your average teenager. Super strength that he has control of but it's possible he can slip up. And most of all, he cannot thermoregulate. Which means if he gets thrown with a family and their heater breaks in the middle of winter, he can freeze to death." Stephen didn't bother mentioning that was how he found the teen.  
"What happened to his hand?" The agent asks.  
"An accident regarding his strength. I've already taken care of it." Stephen replies gently as Peter hangs down from the ceiling by his fingertips before landing behind the sorcerer again and putting his shoes back on. "Now...what do I need to do to make sure he stays with me?" He asks again and Kate glances around him to look at Peter.  
"Peter...I just need to make sure. Do you want to stay with Dr. Strange?" When the teen nods immediately, she pulls out some paperwork and slides it across the desk before holding a pen out to Stephen. "Normally you would have to apply for temporary guardianship but considering the circumstances, we can skip to adoption..."

Kate continues to ramble as Stephen's train of thought skids to a halt. Adoption? What about just permanent guardianship? Not that he really minded but that wasn't his decision to make. Well it was, but Peter was old enough to decide if that was what he wanted. Stephen looks behind him at Peter who had also frozen at the mention of adoption and the two stare at each other. The teen had given him a look of uncertainty and it took the doctor a few moments to realize that he was uncertain if _Stephen_ wanted to do that. So he just nods at the boy, and then turns back to the paperwork when he gets a nod in return. 

Kate had caught the silent exchange. "Is everything alright?"  
"Yes. Fine." Stephen once more focuses his magic into one of his hands to steady it's and signs what seemed to be hundreds of papers.  
"That's it. I would like to stop by your home once he's settled just to check in, but then I'll leave you alone." Kate says with a soft smile.  
"I understand." Stephen says as he returns the pen. "Are we free to go?"

The social worker nods and Stephen shakes her head again before leading Peter out of the office and the building itself by his shoulder. They move out of sight again to take a portal back to the Sanctum, and as soon as it closes behind them, Stephen moves toward the stairs. He had to some studying to do before he worried about lunch.

"Doctor Strange." Peter's whisper had actually startled Stephen into stopping and whipping around to face the boy. "I..."

Stephen waits as the teen looks down and fumbles with his sleeves, attempting to collect his thoughts, but quickly steps forwards when tears fall to the ground. The shock was finally wearing off. He had a safe place to stay now and he was letting himself feel again. He was finally mourning. 

So Stephen did the only thing he could think of that he knew Peter would appreciate. He brought the kid into a hug that was returned instantly as Peter sobbed quietly into his shoulder. He knew the teen was a touchy-feely kind of person. The sorcerer had seen it first hand both on Titan and during the battle with Thanos. Stephen would ignore his own insecurities if it would help the young Avenger.

"...thank you." Peter finally says once the sobs stop and the tears slow to a trickle.  
"You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aware that's not how adoption works. I'm just lazy.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next couple of days, Stephen had helped Peter get settled into his room in the Sanctum. A big part of that was going to the apartment so Peter could figure out what he wanted to bring, and what he would give away. When they first got to the apartment, the sorcerer had asked if the teen wanted him to wait out in the hall, but Peter had shook his head and they went inside. Nothing was done for the first ten minutes, and Stephen stood off to the side so Peter could take it all in one last time. He wouldn't be coming back here again.

The teen's room was first after he had managed to pull himself together enough to do what they came to do, and they were both grateful for Stephen's magic. It made moving much faster since they could throw things through portals (the doctor was pretty sure a book had hit an unsuspecting Wong when he passed), and when they got to May's room, Peter faltered. He looked around like he wasn't sure what to do, and Stephen gathered that maybe he didn't want to get rid of her things. At least not yet. 

So he offered a solution. "I can make room at the Sanctum if there are some things you want to store away for now."

Peter nodded with relief filled eyes and they boxed up and sent all of May and Ben's things to a room for a later time when the teen would be ready to go through it. Everything after that had been easier to deal with. Furniture was left to either stay for the next tenants or to be donated, the tv in the living room was sent to Peter's room at the Sanctum, and the rest donated or sent to be stored. The food was definitely kept.

Leaving the apartment behind was faster, but harder for the teen. As soon as everything was taken care of, Peter had stepped through the portal without looking back. It was one thing to step into a place that was filled and homely, it was another to leave it bare. Looking back would have only rubbed salt into that wound. So Stephen was quick to follow and close the portal and finds himself in Peter's room. It was in complete disarray from them literally throwing things through portals.

"Do you need help?" Stephen asks.  
"No...its something to do...you know?" Peter replies quietly.

He did know. It was a distraction, and in some ways, a ritual. Peter would make it his space and it would give him time to adjust to his new circumstances. At least properly now that he had his things. So Stephen left him to it as he went to the library to gather together his copies of the adoption papers Kate had brought for her home visit (Stephen had followed through on his promise to Peter to wipe her memories of his alter ego after everything was settled). He would need them when he went to the teen's school to update their contact info on Peter. 

"How much longer do I need to do your job?" Wong grumbles as he joins Stephen and sits on the other side of the table.  
"Don't complain. You haven't had to do anything. Things should be wrapped up tomorrow once I get back from Peter's school. I'm putting you down as an emergency contact by the way." Stephen says as he puts aside the paperwork and grabs a book on the mystic artes.  
Wong furrows his brows. "How can you do that when--" Stephen pulls a cell phone out of his pocket and slides it across the table to the darker man. "If Peter spams me with text messages, I'm going to send him to Mount Everest."  
Stephen snorts. "Once he comes out of his shell, he most definitely _will_ , and you will do no such thing."  
Wong grins. "Stephen Strange. Former neurosurgeon, Master of the Mystic Artes, Sorcerer Supreme... _Mom_."  
Stephen stares at him incredulously. "Mom?! Shouldn't I be Dad if anything?"  
"Not the way you've been hovering." Wong says with a snort.

Stephen throws his hand up on the air before opening his book and both men read quietly. At least he thought they were being quiet until Wong kicked his shins under the table and told him to stop mumbling. The doctor just responded with a glare and promptly smacked the other man's head with a nearby rolled up magazine. Something of Wong's. Stephen didn't read magazines.

"Very mature of the Sorcerer Supreme."  
"If you want a hot meal then you'll shut up."

___________________

For the first time in a week, Peter was happy when he saw Ned walking down the hallway in his direction. He had just left Stephen at the school office and he stood in the middle of the hallway feeling completely alone (at least until he saw his best friend). He had thought he would have to go through school by himself, but he still had his best friend. The first thing they did? Their handshake...and then a hug. Peter had to make sure Ned really was there after all.

"Dude, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Ned exclaims. He then frowns when Peter barely manages half a smile. "Are you still upset about Mr. Stark?"  
The young Avenger blinks back oncoming tears. "Not only." Peter looks around the crowded hallway and drags his best friend over to and emptier off section. "May...May is gone too."  
Ned's eyes widen at the news. "Peter-"  
"I'm..I'm not okay...but I'm better." He admits quietly.  
"Did you get put into the system?"  
"No. That's only because I ran from the social worker." Ned frowns. "I almost froze to death but Doctor Strange found me."  
"Who's Doctor Strange?" The darker male asks carefully.  
"He's a sorcerer. Someone I fought Thanos with." Both teens wince at the name. "I'm staying with him now."

The bell rings shrilly, something Peter actually missed even though the sound made him grind his teeth, and the two teens male their way to class. Throughout the day, Ned kept a close eye on Peter, and when he asked why the other teen hadn't stayed home to give himself more time after May's death, Peter had said that he needed something familiar. At this point all that was left that fit the bill was school.

Most of Peter's friends were snapped so he had a few more familiar faces to survive school with, MJ being one, and unfortunately Flash as well. At least his bully was content to leave him alone for now. Everyone needed to adjust to the new faces.

Everything had gone well for his first day back at school after all that had happened, but it all came to a quick end when someone snapped. Peter immediately felt his breath catch in his chest as his mind went back to those final battles. He looked down to find his hands shaking violently and he barely processed someone calling his name. It sounded muffled, as if he were under water, and he didn't even notice when he was being pulled out of his seat and lead somewhere. All he saw was his body turning to dust again. Some little part if his mind knew that this wasn't really happening, but the panic was drowning out the logic.

"...guardian...here...soon." A voice filters through the teen's panic and he snaps his head up and looks around. He was in the office, but that was all his mind would let him acknowledge. He could look as much as he wanted but he didn't _see_.  
"Peter? Are you okay?"

That voice. It was familiar. He couldn't think though. He couldn't put the pieces together because he was too busy trying to breathe properly. Just thinking about trying to do something that he did all day, every day, made the task even harder. _Why was it so hard to breathe?!_

"Peter...listen to me. Breathe in." A deep voice commands and the teen obeys after a few sputtered attempts. "Now breathe out slowly."

Peter focused on the commands and after what seems like forever, he could finally breathe without conscious effort. He looks around again as his pounding heart slows to a more normal pace and he quickly discovers Stephen kneeling in front of him and Ned standing a bit to the side, watching nervously. His backpack was sitting by his chair on the floor, and the secretary was returning to her desk now that Peter had come back to reality.

"Do you know where you are?" Stephen asks.  
"S-school. In the office." Peter stammers out.  
"Okay. Do you know what triggered your panic attack?"  
Peter nods numbly. "Someone snapped."  
Stephen winces before standing up. "I'm taking you home." He says calmly. "I think you've had enough for today."  
Ned nods in agreement. "I can get your assignments from the rest of yours classes and call you later."

Peter was too tired to argue with either of them. Stephen was right, he had had enough for today. The panic attack had wiped him out and now all he wanted to do was take a nap. So he nods to both Ned and Stephen and promises to talk to his best friend later as the sorcerer signs the teen out. Once the doctor finishes, he turns back to Peter and waits for him to grab his backpack and stand on trembling legs before leading him out of the building. Stephen creates a portal back to the Sanctum, Peter steps through, and then makes his way up to his room where he drops his bag next to his desk and crawls onto his bed.

The next twenty minutes were spent tossing and turning though. He was exhausted but he couldn't get over the fear in the back of his mind. He felt alone. Peter had an idea on his to rectify that, and decided to act on it before he lost his nerve. The teen rolls out of bed and sluggishly leaves his room to look for Stephen, and found him not two minutes later on a couch in the foyer. Thank god. He silently approaches the man studying a book and drinking tea, and slumps onto the couch beside him to curl up into a ball. To his surprise, Stephen hadn't said a word. Instead, he had his cloak float over and cover him as he turned a page in his book. Knowing his company was not unwelcome helped, and Peter was able to finally doze off and take his much needed nap, unaware of the coming conversation.

"See? Mom." Wong says as he passes by and Stephen throws one of his books at him.  
The other sorcerer stops and sniggers as he dodges the projectile and it lands with a thud on the floor. Stephen glances down to make sure he hadn't disturbed Peter. "Just wait. He'll be calling you Uncle Wong. He's that type of kid."  
"If I hear him call you Mom, I'll endure it because it will be worth it."  
"What makes you think he won't decide to call me Dad if he does give me some sort of title?"  
"Because Tony was Dad. He just never got the chance to call him that." Wong points at him before Stephen can start wallowing. "Still not your fault."  
"Either way, he's a long way off from calling me anything if he ever does."  
"I can speed up the process and tell him you astral projected and watched him at school today." Wong threatens and Stephen responds by throwing another book and laughing when it hits it's mark on the other man's forehead.  
"Don't threaten the Sorcerer Supreme."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think this is what part of Wong and Stephen's friendship is like. Lol.


	4. Chapter 4

It took a couple of weeks for Peter to adjust but school had helped with that. He gradually talked more, and even got comfortable enough to crawl across the ceiling to follow Stephen whenever he got bored, or in some cases, needed some assurance that the Sorcerer Supreme was still there. Peter had nightmares and more often than not, Stephen would wake up in the middle of the night and would know without opening his eyes that the teen was sitting in his bedroom. Peter would stay for about twenty minutes, but he always went back to his room.

It took Stephen a couple nights to figure out that Peter was listening to him breathe. He was assuring himself that his new guardian was alive and well, and within reach. So the doctor didn't say anything. If he were in the kid's shoes, he might do the same thing.

One evening, he had made the mistake of astral projecting. Something Peter wasn't aware he did on occasion, so when the teen went to Stephen's room after one of his nightmares, he had panicked. Whenever the sorcerer projected, his breathing and his heartbeat slowed, and Peter couldn't hear him at first. He had rushed to his bedside and tried to shake him awake and Stephen made the second mistake of showing his astral form to the teen. Peter had thought he was dead (He had never seen Stephen project before), and the doctor had to return to his body when the young Avenger started having a panic attack.

He then immediately pulled Peter into a comforting hug with mumbled apologies and made sure to explain to him that he did that sometimes. It was the first time Peter clung to him and stayed in the room.

"Doctor Strange?" Peter starts from above him on the ceiling.  
"Hmm?" Stephen turns a page in his book.  
"Someone's here."

Stephen looks up from his book and focuses on the Sanctum for anybody that may have escaped his notice, but whoever Peter was talking about was not inside. A knock on the door seconds later confirms his theory and he stands from his seat as he wills the front door to open. Stephen motions for Peter to stay and be quiet as he descends down to the foyer, only to look at their visitor with surprise.

It was Happy, and he was looking distressed.

"Happy." Stephen greets.  
"No offense Strange but I need to cut to the chase. The kid is missing. No one has heard from him in a month." Happy says as he rubs his forehead. "I came here hoping you had a spell or something--"  
"There's no need." The sorcerer interrupts. "He's here."

He points to the ceiling (he had heard Peter join them once the teen heard Happy's voice) and the bodyguard looks up to see the teen looking down at him curiously. Like he was surprised that people had worried about him. It was a little heart-breaking to think that Peter thought that no one would think to check on him, and that he couldn't go to said people. Stephen liked to think if he knew about May's death sooner, he would have gone looking for the kid himself. He and Peter were some of the few people that remembered the soul realm, and he had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on the teen while they were there. That was partially why he was willing to take Peter in.

"Peter!" Happy let out the heaviest sigh of relief Stephen had ever heard. "Geez, kid. Do you know how worried we've all been?"  
"You...you were looking for me?" Peter asks as he hangs down to them and flips down onto his feet.  
"Yeah! Especially after I stopped by your apartment and I found out that someone else was living there! Where's your aunt?"

Peter stiffens and looks down at the floor, leaving Stephen to let Happy know what had happened the past few weeks. The other man had stared at the sorcerer when he mentioned the adoption, but kept quiet until Stephen was finished. Seconds of silence pass as Happy processes the new information and he looks at Peter.

"Well, at least I can tell Pepper you're safe." He finally says.  
"She was worried?" Peter whispers with a hint of guilt.  
"Biological or not...you were Tony's kid. You're the reason he fought to get everyone back."  
"Now I'm the reason Morgan doesn't have her dad."  
Happy inhales deeply and grabs Peter's shoulder. " _Tony_ made the choice in the end." Stephen tenses when the man gives him a sidelong glance before looking back at Peter. "Yeah, he's gone...but Morgan still has her mom. She has me, Rhodey...everyone...and so do you kid. May is gone too but who took you in when you had nowhere else to go?" That was when the teen looked up at Happy before glancing at Stephen. "You're not as alone as you think Peter, and it's okay to ask for help."

Happy pats down his suit jacket and then his pants before reaching into his right pants pocket and pulls out a key. He hands it to Peter and the teen looks at it questionably.

"Pepper asked me to give this to you when I found you. Tony made a spare key to the lab at the lake house and he was going to give it to you. I'll be sure to let Pepper know you might appear by means of a portal."  
Peter puffs out half of a laugh and encloses the key into a fist. "Thanks Happy. I'll...I'll visit when I'm ready."  
The bodyguard nods. "Are you okay here?"  
The teen nods immediately much to Stephen's surprise. "Yeah. He understands."

Both Happy and Stephen look at him quizzically but the bodyguard accepts the answer and says goodbye after thanking the Sorcerer Supreme for helping Peter. Once Happy leaves, Stephen and Peter stand in the middle of the foyer while the teen collects himself, and the doctor finally speaks up after a couple of minutes.

"Understand what?"  
"...being in the soul realm."

Ah. Yes. He did understand. Half of the Avengers had been dusted but Stephen was the only one Peter was close to right now that understood how terrifying that realm had been. Pepper, Rhodey, Happy...none of them understood. Even Wong didn't understand, but he had always tried to keep Peter calm until Stephen could step in (assuming he was temporarily elsewhere). He really was kind of an uncle, and Stephen still had yet to tease him more about it.

"You look like you could use take-out tonight." Stephen says as he gently places a hand on the nape of Peter's neck. "Any requests?"  
Peter smiles for the first time that day. "Pizza."  
"If you ask for pineapple, I'm going to disown you." The sorcerer remarks with a smirk as they make their way to the kitchen and he pulls his cell phone out of his pocket.  
"I'm happy with plain old pepperoni."  
Wong walks in. "You better put olives on it."  
Stephen raises an eyebrow at him. "Why do you only willingly put yourself in a conversation when food is involved?"  
"I have to make sure you don't ruin dinner. Which means no anchovies." The other man responds and both Peter and Stephen scrunch their noses at the mention of the fish.  
"I think we're all safe from that."

Stephen orders a pizza online for delivery and when Peter asks if they can watch a movie in the foyer, the doctor simply nods and the teen leaves the kitchen. He had recently moved his personal television downstairs for times like this, sometimes even Wong joined them now that he stopped complaining about them not having material items. Stephen never cared for that teaching, and Peter lived with them now so material objects were sort of a necessity if they didn't want him to drive them crazy. Peter was always respectful though. If Stephen was studying in the foyer, he would ask if he could turn the tv on while he did his homework, and when the doctor allowed it, he would keep the volume low.

Peter had once asked how Stephen paid for things, and with a straight face he had told the teen that it was a secret. Wong laughed harder than he did at Stephen's lame joke about the warnings being after the spells. Precious Peter had accepted the answer and Stephen wasn't sure whether to laugh or be concerned that the teen accepted that some things were secret. Which was nice, but how he "paid" for things wasn't exactly top secret, hush hush info. He really was just joking, but he was too baffled by Peter's acceptance to give the teen a real answer.

Then again, Peter probably thought it was a magic thing...which wasn't a total lie.

Peter pops his head into the kitchen minutes later. "Can we watch Sausage Party?"  
Stephen sputters. "What?! No! Absolutely not!"  
Peter grumbles as he disappears around the corner again, but not before Stephen catches the teen speaking under his breath. "Such a mom move."  
Stephen slips a twenty dollar bill to Wong as he shouts. "I heard that!"  
Wong pockets the money and chuckles. "Now we wait for him to call you that to your face and I'll be fifty bucks richer."  
" _That_ will never happen. Especially now that he knows I heard him. Don't spend that all in one place." The doctor snarks, and exits the kitchen when he hears a knock on the door.

He barely took the three boxes of pizza from the delivery guy when Peter was at his arm and trying to take the boxes that Stephen instantly held up higher and out of the teen's reach. As long as Peter was in view of the delivery man, he couldn't use his powers to try and get them right?

Wrong.

Peter climbs the wall out of the strangers sight as Stephen pays the man with one hand, and lunges forward. "Parkour!" He shouts as he snags the boxes from Stephen's risen hand and lands gracefully on the ground before hopping over the back of the couch in front of the television.  
"I don't think I've ever seen someone go to such extremes for pizza." The delivery guy states and Stephen sighs.  
"He's a special case." The sorcerer says and then thanks him as he closes the door before grabbing a nearby magazine. He marches over to the couch as he rolls up the magazine and smacks the top of Peter's head with it.  
"Ow!" Peter complains around a mouthful of pizza.  
"It's just pizza Peter."  
"Pizza is a gift from God." The teen sasses and Stephen rolls his eyes as he joins Peter and Wong (who had trailed after the teen after his stunt).  
Stephen sighs. "What movie did you pick?"  
"Sausage Party." Peter says as he clicks play on the remote and Stephen's eyes widen as he tries to take the remote away, but the teen holds it away.  
"I said no Peter!"

Wong ignores them as Stephen struggles for the remote, quietly eating his pizza as the movie starts. _How helpful of him_ , Stephen thought. Just when he was about to grab the remote, the other sorcerer started laughing again and pointed to the screen.

"Stephen."  
"What?!"  
"He put on Star Wars."  
Stephen glances at the movie to discover that it was indeed Star Wars and narrows his eyes when he looks at Peter and finds a smug smile. "Cheeky Spiderling."

Tony's exasperation with Peter now made so much more sense. It was definitely warranted.

Although he still had some healing to do, Stephen was glad to see Peter going somewhat back to normal.


	5. Chapter 5

It took a couple more months for Peter to don his Spiderman suit again, and it was only because of some coaxing from Stephen. As much as he wanted to keep Peter inside and safe (Wong had teasingly called him Mom again when he mentioned this to him), the teen was getting antsy. He didn't even realize that he missed being Spiderman. Stephen told him to try a couple of hours out and if he still wasn't ready, he could return home and try later. Peter wasn't _not_ ready, he just decided that it would be best to go out on a gradient. Two hours turned into four, then six...then eventually he stayed out until the curfew that Stephen had set. The curfew wasn't entirely strict in the regards that if Peter was dealing with something close to curfew, he was to tell either Stephen or Wong.

That had only happened once so far, and Peter got home ten minutes after and apologized. He really was a good kid. The teen always looked exhilarated after his patrol, and also a bit tired, and Stephen would just send him up to bed with a glass of water and a late night snack. Something healthy that wouldn't give him much energy but would at least fill him up enough so that he wasn't waking up in the middle of the night with a growling stomach. That had happened one night, and no matter how quiet Peter tried to be, he had still woken up Wong and felt terrible about it. Stephen had to come up with the solution to give him a snack because Peter wouldn't go back down to the kitchen in the middle of the night for fear of waking one of them.

Then, one of Stephen's newest fears had come to fruition. Peter had gotten hurt during patrol and Karen was the one to call him (a protocol that the teen changed with Ned's help to contact either Stephen or Wong instead. Happy was kept on in case they weren't available). 

The Sorcerer Supreme had been reading when he got the dreaded call. "What is it Peter?" He asks when he answers the call.  
"Doctor Strange, Peter has been shot and he's losing an alarming amount of blood--" Karen's voice filters through the phone and Stephen jumps to his feet.  
"Where?!" 

When Karen gives him Peter's location, he shouts to Wong about the situation as he creates a portal and steps through. The sight that met him had his heart clenching and the blood draining from his face. Peter was face down in an alley with a pool of blood surrounding him, and completely motionless. Stephen rushes over and falls to his knees beside the teen and quickly looks over his wounds to assess the damage. To his relief, Peter had groaned at being moved and the sorcerer cloaks the entrance to the alleyway before he pulls off the kid's mask.

"No...no...can't see me..." Peter protests weakly.  
"It's okay Peter. It's only me." Stephen soothes immediately and starts on checking for exit wounds. It wouldn't be a good idea to move him right now.  
"Hehe..." The teen snickers and the doctor immediately chalks that up to shock from blood loss. "Hey Doctor Strange?" Stephen only grunts to let the boy know he was listening. If it kept him awake, he would listen. "You're kinda like a mom...you know that?" Stephen falters for only half a second before focusing on healing Peter. "You hug me even though I know that's not your thing...sometimes send me to bed with a juice box..." Peter giggles again at that. "And I _know_ you astral project to watch me sometimes. Wong told on you."

Stephen listens to Peter ramble about all the 'motherly' things that the sorcerer does but only takes it with a grain of salt. Peter was in shock and he wouldn't even remember any of it in the morning. It didn't mean that he didn't feel good hearing about it though. It showed how much Peter had noticed what Stephen was doing for him, and how appreciative he was.

"...you have a mom smell too." Peter says matter-of-factly.  
Stephen chuckles. "A mom smell?"  
"Yup...you smell like tea leaves and that stuff you burn...what's it called?"  
"Incense?"  
"Yeah...that stuff." Peter slurs as he begins to lose consciousness. "Smells like home now..." He then blinks rapidly to momentarily clear his undoubtedly blackening vision. "You have big Mom energy...I'm gonna call you that now."  
Stephen tilts his head as he finishes healing the boy. "Call me what?"  
"Mom." Peter replies as he finally loses his battle with sleep and nods off against Stephen's thigh, where the sorcerer had placed his head moments before.

Wong had been right, but Peter wouldn't remember this would he? It actually kind of...hurt. He genuinely wouldn't mind if the teen called him that, because he was finding out very fast how easy it was to get attached to Peter. His happiness was contagious (now that they were getting the old Peter back), and even Wong hadn't minded it when the teen sat on the ceiling above them while they studied, eating chips. When a Dorito fell out of his hand and landed in Stephen's open book, the doctor merely picked it up and ate it...then motioned for more. It turned into a comfortable setting. Peter would sometimes sit with them while they read and usually brought a snack that they would all share between them.

Stephen sighs and pulls Peter into his arms as he moves back to his feet, and dismisses the illusion at the mouth of the alley before stepping back through the portal he had arrived in. It closes behind him as he carries Peter up to the teen's room, and after he double checks the boy's injuries, puts him in bed and sits in the desk chair. He was just going to make sure Peter really was okay before he started dinner. The kid had only been out on patrol for a couple of hours and--

An unwelcome shift from the Sanctum alerted Stephen minutes later and he audibly growled. Someone was trying to attack the Sanctum and Stephen really wasn't in the mood. He stands (sparing a glance back at Peter to make sure he was sleeping), and makes his way down to the foyer as magic crackles in his hands. He was beyond upset. His kid was hurt and someone had the audacity to attack his Sanctum?! Not today. He levitates down the rest of the way with the cloak's help and a couple of rogue sorcerers actually flinch back when he comes into their view. Even Wong looked a little frightened.

"Sorcerer Supreme--" One of the rogues start and Stephen snarls.  
"NOT...NOW!" He shouts and release a wave of magic as multiple portals open and drag the small group of rogues into them before they have a chance to say anything more.   
Once the portals close, Wong looks up at him in bewilderment. "Why haven't you done that before?"  
Stephen inhales deeply to calm himself and the magic at his hands slowly dissipates. "Do what?"  
"Stephen...your eyes were glowing green. You banished five rogues with just a thought!" Wong exclaims and Stephen blinks.  
"I...didn't know I could do that." He confesses.  
Wong studies him for a few moments and then his eyes fill with understanding. "I think it's because you had nothing to lose before."

Stephen levitates down completely onto the first landing of the stairwell and looks at his hands in wonderment. He had conjured powerful magic with a thought...and that was because he was protecting Peter. Before, he had nothing to live or die for and that was how he used his magic, but now? Now he had Peter. He had something, _someone_ to protect. To fight for.

"...you're like a mother bear." Wong says with a smirk. "Your cub was injured and in the cave and you were protecting him."  
"Enough with the analogies Wong." Stephen says dryly and turns to return to Peter's room.  
"When's dinner?"

The doctor sighs heavily and climbs the stairs back up to the teen's room and finds Peter sprawled out on his bed. An indication that he was already healing and would be fine. So Stephen gives him one more look over, and pauses when Peter stirs at his touch.

"...hungry Mum..." Peter slurs sleepily.  
Stephen had responded without a second thought to what the teen had just called him. "I'm about to make dinner. Just rest until it's ready."   
"Hnn...kay..."

Stephen leaves when soft snores escape the teen and makes his way down into the kitchen where he starts something quick and simple for dinner. Peter would need it to help his body replenish the blood he had lost (thankfully Peter didn't need a transfusion), and he was sure Peter would have a large appetite with how much his body was working to heal itself right now. Stephen had done most of the work, but it was only to get him out of a critical condition and be able to safely transfer him home. Large quantities of dinner was a must tonight. At least more than usual. Even _he_ needed some sustenance. The magic he had used just minutes ago drained him quite a bit, but not enough to make him tired.

Halfway through cooking dinner, it had hit him. Peter had actually called him 'Mom'. Was he healed enough to realize it? Or maybe he was still half-asleep? Maybe Stephen would just wait and see if it happened again. If it brought it up, Peter was bound to get embarrassed and apologize.

"Smells like pasta." Peter sluggishly walks into the kitchen and sits at the table where he folds his arms and lays his head on top of them.  
"With chicken." Stephen says as he turns off the stove and fills a plate for himself and the teen. "I thought I told you to rest."  
"I did until I smelled food." Peter sits up when the sorcerer sets a full plate in front of him. "Thanks."

Stephen hums in acknowledgement and sits across from him to dig into his own meal, and Wong soon joins them a couple minutes later. Stephen knew the smell of food would lure the other man, so he hadn't bothered shouting. Their meal passed quietly, not quiet silently since they still held conversations, but not as loud as usual because Peter was tired and sore from his earlier wounds and didn't have the energy to ramble about his day.

"Are you in pain?" Stephen asks and Peter shrugs.  
"Not so much anymore. Your magic helped a lot."  
The doctor stops his fork halfway to his mouth and looks at Peter incredulously. "Wait...you remember everything?"  
Peter blushes. "Uh...yeah...sorry about that."  
Stephen smiles softly. "I don't mind."  
Wong looks between the two of them. "What? What happened?"  
"Nothing." Stephen says at the same time Peter says, "I called him Mom."  
"Thanks kid." Wong says and Peter looks at him in confusion.  
"For what?"  
Stephen silently hands over some cash and Wong beams. "You made me fifty bucks richer _and_ proved me right."


	6. Chapter 6

Stephen woke to the sound of crunching and his television on at a low volume. The latter was definitely off when he fell asleep the night before, and when he cracked a single eye open to figure out where the crunching noise was coming from, he found Peter sitting cross-legged on his bed and eating cereal. The sorcerer also noticed the teen was watching cartoons but decided against saying anything. Instead he just closed his eye again and rested for a little while longer. He wouldn't be going back to sleep, but the extra time to lay in bed was nice. Normally Peter's munching would have driven him up the wall, but he found that it didn't bother him at all. 

The sorcerer grabs one of the extra pillows on his bed, one Peter isn't leaning against, and wraps an arm around it. "What in the world are you watching?" He asks without opening his eyes again.  
"Cartoons."  
Stephen huffs and opens both eyes. "I gathered that much. What exactly are you doing in here anyway?"  
Peter looks over at him sheepishly before looking back at the television. "I...uh...got a little lonely. Sorry for waking you."  
"It's alright. I think I'll enjoy staying in bed a little longer though. You're welcome to stay."

Peter nods and finishes his cereal, milk and all, while Stephen relaxes into his mattress. The teen had felt lonely and came to his room just to be near him, even if Stephen had been sleeping. He didn't really blame Peter though. The Sanctum could get eerily quiet even if Stephen and Wong were up and about. Wong and Stephen studied, and occasionally the Sorcerer Supreme took to meditating. All of the activities were quiet ones, and Peter was even considerate enough to try and stay quiet as well. It didn't always work since the kid was clumsy sometimes but it was the thought that counted. Maybe Stephen should let him have a friend over. Peter was always talking about Ned, and he supposedly knew about Peter's alter ego and had kept it a secret. He could probably trust Peter's friend to keep another one.

Sorcerers still weren't widely known since the battle with Thanos had taken place at the ruins of the Avengers Compound, and before that, when he and Wong used their magic before the snap, civilians were too busy running to pay any attention. Not that it concerned them at the time.

"Peter." Stephen mumbles against his pillow. "Who's the friend you're always talking about?"  
The teen wipes his mouth with the back of his hand as he looks over at his guardian. "Ned. Why?"  
"Why don't you invite him over for the day?"  
Brown, doe-like eyes had brightened in the span of half a second. "Really?!"  
"If he can keep the secret about sorcerers, then yes. Really."  
"Y-yeah! Totally! I'll go call him now!" 

Peter vibrates with excitement as he scrambles off the bed, and barely remembers to take his empty bowl as he leaves the room. Stephen decided that was the time to get up and give himself time to wake up if he were to have any hope of surviving the day with _two_ teenagers. Peter and Ned would more than likely coop themselves up in the teen's room, but not before having a look around the Sanctum. That little tour would be supervised by the doctor so that the boys wouldn't accidently get themselves into trouble as Ned sated his curiosity. Said boy had arrived within the hour, Wong had locked himself away into the library, and the show of the Sanctum was painless. Stephen even showed what a couple of the more harmless artifacts did, but the Cloak of Levitation stole most of the attention since it opted to float behind them instead of resting on its master's shoulders.

"Okay Ned. Come on." Peter says with exasperation when Ned stops to stare at a fourth artifact.  
"Dude, you literally live in a magical house!" Ned exclaims with awe as Peter grabs his arm and drags him to his bedroom. "Oh! Uh, thanks for showing me around Doctor Strange!"

Stephen didn't even have time to respond before the boys were in Peter's bedroom and the door closed behind them. It didn't bother him in the least, because Peter looked _happy_. Of course, the young Avenger was steadily getting better as time went on, but there were still nightmares. Peter still came into Stephen's bedroom in the middle of the night to listen to him breathe, and while the visits were lessening, it was still concerning. He should probably talk to Peter about seeing a therapist. He almost never shared what his nightmares were about, even when they were bad enough for Peter to curl up in bed next to him, and Stephen had an inkling as to why.

Peter must have known that Stephen blamed himself for Tony's death. That moment was likely a constant in the teen's dreams, and he didn't want to pass on the hurt to the sorcerer. Stephen appreciated what Peter was trying to do, but would rather have him talk to him. Maybe it was something he needed to vocalize. If Peter wasn't comfortable talking to Stephen about things, that would be when the sorcerer would offer the option of a therapist.

The doctor rubs the bridge of his nose after telling the Cloak to keep an eye on the lids in case they leave the bedroom, and walks into the library to join Wong at the table. The other sorcerer glances up at him for a few moments and then returns his attention to the book in front of him. Stephen didn't feel like looking to see what it was.

"Regretting letting another teenager come over?" He asks gruffly.  
"No. Peter is the happiest I've seen him in a long time. Besides, Ned is respectful...and they're both being quiet." Stephen answers.  
"He was with you again last night."  
The doctor blinks. "What? Are you sure? I thought he only came in about an hour before I woke up?"  
"No. All night. You need to talk to him Stephen." Wong says as he flips a page and the Sorcerer Supreme sighs.  
"It's on my to-do list."  
"Right after you brood some more over soemthing that wasn't your fault?" The darker man quips.  
"Shut up Beyonce."

Wong did after glaring at Stephen for the nickname, and they studied in silence. He of course kept an ear open for the teens, and while Wong didn't show it, he was sure the other man was listening for trouble as well. He wasn't very open about it, but Wong did like Peter. He caught the man portaling forgotten homework to the teen while he was at school, lunches, lunch _money_ , and even Peter's winter jacket one time. If Stephen didn't notice something, Wong usually took care of it. If Wong didn't care, he wouldn't have done any of those things. He really was like an uncle.

Their quiet studies were temporarily interrupted when Peter hung down between them from the ceiling, and Wong sighs.

"Can't you walk on the floor like a normal kid?"  
"...but I'm not a normal kid." Peter quips before looking at Stephen who had laughed at the boys retort. "Can we order Chinese?"  
Stephen raises an eyebrow. "Not pizza?"  
"Nope."  
"I'll call for you when it arrives." The doctor says as his way of an affirmation and Peter pulls himself back up to the ceiling to crawl his way out of the library.

The first half a dozen times Peter had hung down in front of them, Wong had nearly jumped out of his skin because the teen was so quiet when he crawled on the walls. To both Stephen and Peter's combined disappointment though, the darker sorcerer how grown used to it. They couldn't get a laugh about it later anymore.

Dinner was ordered, delivered, and eaten, and Ned headed home a couple hours afterwards. Stephen had offered to send him home via portal but the boy had told him no thank you because his mom was already in his way. Ned had tried to hide his disappointment, but Stephen had caught it and simply said 'Next time then'. The teenager had left with a hopeful smile on his face and Peter just shook his head.

"You know he's not going to shut up about that now."  
"What's one more thing for him to talk about after he came here?" The sorcerer says with a small smile.  
"Fair point."

Peter turns to go back up to his room, but Stephen clears his throat, regaining the teen's attention. When the fellow Avenger turns back to look at him, the doctor pulls a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolds it to hold up and show the boy. It was a permission slip from school and he had found it in the trash in the kitchen. Not that he went rummaging around in the garbage, it was sitting at the top so all Stephen had to do was pick it up. There was no touching of anything else.

"Why was this in the garbage?" He asks softly when Peter bites his lip. "Do you not want to go to Europe during the summer?"

A school trip. Two weeks traveling through Europe, and Peter had thrown the permission slip away. Either he didn't want to go or he was afraid to ask. The trip wasn't exactly cheap, and Stephen had a feeling that Peter thought it was too much to ask for.

"No." The teen lies.  
"Peter."  
Said boy sighs and looks down as he mutters. "Yes."  
"Then why was it in the trash?"  
"You've already done so much for me, and the trip is _really_ expensive! It's not that big of a deal." Peter motions wildly as he speaks. "Really."  
"Peter, you of all people deserve a vacation after everything that has happened. Now look at me." Stephen waits until the teen does as he's told. "Do you want to go on this trip? No lies."  
Peter licks his lips and sighs. "Yes."  
"Okay."

Stephen walks back into the kitchen to rummage through their junk drawer for a pen, and when he finds one that works, he signs the permission slip. Money wouldn't be an issue. He had squirreled away some money after his accident, something he refused to dip into for the possible reconstruction of his hands, and he had more than enough to cover the fee for Peter's trip to Europe. He wouldn't use the money for himself unless it was an absolute emergency, but for Peter? He barely gave it a passing thought. Isn't that what a parent did anyway? Put their child first?

"You're signing it?" Peter asks dumbfoundedly when he follows Stephen. "How will you pay for it though?" Ah. So he was worried about money.  
"I have some money set aside from after my accident. I would much rather spend it on you than myself." Peter opens his mouth to protest but Stephen holds up a finger (completely ignoring the last time he had done it. He didn't have time to dwell on that right now.). "Don't argue with me. You want to go so you are going. It will not take funds away from how we live because I don't use this money. Understand?"  
"...yes."

Stephen writes a check as well, something he had to do with some magical focus into his hands, and he hands both slips of paper back to Peter. The teen stares at them for a few silent seconds, and then takes Stephen by surprise when he throws his arms around the sorcerer.

"Thanks Mom." He mutters before scurrying out of the kitchen with a blush and past Wong who had heard the last bit.

Of course he did.

"Do I get another fifty dollars?"  
"In your dreams!" Stephen says as he tosses a book at his friend.  
Wong ducks the flying literature with a scowl. "Quit throwing books at me! Where did you even get it?!"  
Stephen smirks. "What? You don't have your own pocket dimension?"  
"Leave it to you to store books in it. Do you have snacks too?"  
"For Peter."  
Wong snorts. "Figures."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a few spoilers from Far From Home.

Peter was barely gone on his trip for two days when Stephen suddenly started to feel uneasy. When he had told Wong about it, his friend just said that it was probably just some separation anxiety and that it would pass. It was a plausible reason so Stephen didn't think much else of it. This _was_ the first time Peter would be away from them for more than just a night.

So he ignored his feelings of _wrong_ and continued his duties with his phone close by. Peter would call him if something happened and he could be there in an instant. As the days passed though, the feeling got worse and worse. It was toward the end of his adopted son's trip that had Stephen on edge. This couldn't be separation anxiety. Could it? Peter would tell him if he needed help...right?

 _No,_ Stephen's mind told him, _he couldn't even ask you if he could go on this trip in the first place._

"...are you listening?" Wong's voice filters through his frantic thoughts and he blinks up at him before rubbing his eyes.  
"No. I'm sorry. I've been on edge lately." Stephen admits with a heavy sigh.  
"Peter will be home tomorrow night."

That thought was what kept Stephen sane. Peter would be home soon, and he could go back to sleeping soundly once he was sure that the teen was safely in his room. Nightmares had been plaguing him so often lately that he had resorted to letting only his body rest at night. He astral projected when he should have been sleeping to avoid the bad dreams.

Of course then he got the text from Happy later that day.

**The kid is in a bad place. He called me, I'm helping him out, but I figured I would let you know.**

Stephen's self reassurance that Peter would ask him for help was proven wrong by that one text. He didn't go to his adoptive parent, but rather Happy. Peter was probably trying not to burden him again. The teen would undeniably come up with the excuse that Stephen was the Sorcerer Supreme and had more pressing responsibilities than to worry about a teenager. It was wrong though. Peter was _his_ kid now, and he would drop everything to help him. That was probably the exact reason the teenager didn't call him.

So he trusted Happy to help Peter, and if things got too hairy, to call him. He didn't get anything of the sort though. There was no news of any trouble anywhere in Europe (only in Venice when Peter was supposed to be there, which probably set off his discomfort), and Stephen was getting ready for bed when he got one more text from Happy, telling him that Peter was okay and on the plane home. Stephen didn't sleep well that night either. He had tried of course, but he needed to see with his own eyes that his son was okay.

Wong had to wake him up so Stephen could portal to the airport and pick Peter up. He slept so poorly last night that his ten minutes of resting his eyes turned into an hour of sleep and he had to scramble out of bed and change into his street clothes before portaling to the airport. He stepped out into an empty corner and made his way out into the open and leaned against a wall with his arms folded as he waited for Peter to appear. Ten...fifteen minutes passed when the teen finally stepped into view and the first thing Stephen noticed was the boy's limp. It wasn't obvious to anyone but him since he had been looking for injuries, and the exhaustion in Peter's eyes only made Stephen's heart clench.

As soon as Peter saw him, the sorcerer moved from his spot on the wall to meet him halfway, and very quickly found himself with an armful of Peter. "It's alright. I've got you."  
"...so tired Mum..." The teen mumbles into the doctor's chest.  
"Okay. We'll get you home. Where are your things?"  
"Blown up."  
Stephen sighs and makes a mental note to ask the boy exactly _what_ happened during his trip. "Alright. Just lean on me. Can you make it to that corner over there?"

Peter pulls away so Stephen can stand at his side and point to the people free corner and he nods, letting the sorcerer lead the way. As soon as they're out of prying eyes, Stephen opens a portal directly to Peter's room and they step through it and it closes behind them with a fizzle. The younger didn't waste any time in collapsing onto his bed, and barely managed to strip down to his boxers so Stephen could assess the damage. The bruises and cuts that littered Peter's body had Stephen's throat closing up because he had not been expecting it. There was no doubt that Peter's healing factor had already done quite a bit, and if Stephen had to base what his injuries must have looked like then on whay he saw now, he might have actually thrown up.

Dark purple bruises, burns, gashes...they were everywhere. He didn't fail to notice that Peter's breath hitched in pain every few seconds either. He had to have bruised or even broken ribs.

"What caused these?"  
"Some psycho who got butt hurt about something Mister Stark did...drones...a train--"  
Stephen inhales sharply. " _A train?!_ "  
"Don't get hit by a train. It hurts."  
"Vishanti...Peter..." The doctor sighs. "Alright. I'll do what I can. We'll talk about this later."  
"Can I sleep?" Peter asks tiredly and Stephen smiles softly as he pushes back brown hair.  
"Yes. You can sleep. I apologize ahead of time if I hurt you."

Peter mumbled something along the lines of 'you couldn't hurt me' before he promptly fell asleep, but Stephen couldn't be sure. He spent the next couple of hours tending to the teens wounds, checking his leg to make sure it hadn't been broken and healed incorrectly, and the last thing he checked were Peter's ribs. A few presses indicated cracked ribs but there wasn't much he could do for that. His healing factor would take care of it soon anyway. Stephen was able to use his magic to help alleviate some of the pain though, and the moment he did, Peter visibly relaxed into his mattress.

As soon as they was all said and done, Stephen felt his anxiety leave him in one giant woosh. Like he had exhaled and all of the anxiety he felt over the past couple of weeks went with it. Peter was home and he was safe. Definitely not unharmed but he was already on the mend.

"I see more purple than tan." Wong says as he comes in with a glass of water and an extra blanket. "I brought the blanket that helps when he has sensory overloads."  
"That's actually perfect. I don't want to try and get him under the covers and risk hurting him more." Stephen takes the blanket and lays it over Peter as Wong sets the glass down on the nightstand beside Peter's bed. "He's going to wake up hungry soon."  
Wong raises an eyebrow. "He looks dead to the world if you ask me."  
Stephen snorts. "He has the right idea. I might just take a nap myself."  
"You're getting old Strange." Wong says with a snicker and then hisses when Stephen smacks the back of his head.

Peter actually slept until dinner, and Stephen had made sure to make something that was easy to swallow so that he didn't irritate his ribs more than necessary. Stephen didn't ask him what happened, the three of them just ate in silence and Peter went back up to bed. He didn't stay there though. The teen had gotten up in the middle of the night and went into Stephen's room to get in bed next to him, and curled into the sorcerer's side before going back to sleep. Neither he nor Wong said anything. Peter was hurting and needed comfort.

They just didn't realize the extent of it until Stephen finally asked Peter what had happened in Europe. When the teen told him everything, he and Wong had actually scooted away in their chairs towards the end of the story because Stephen was furious. Not at Peter, but at Quentin Beck, and if he wasn't dead he would have actually killed him himself. Screw the pledge he took as a doctor.

They also had scooted away because his magic made his eyes glow again, and Peter had stared in awe and trepidation. Stephen was able to calm himself down though and told Peter he would feel better if he continued his therapy for a little while longer. The young Avenger didn't argue, in fact, he agreed. Peter only went into Stephen's room a couple more times when he had nightmares, and the sorcerer would only wake long enough to make sure he didn't need anything before going back to sleep. Those times, he usually woke up to Peter watching cartoons and eating cereal again. Most times Stephen would just roll over and go back to sleep for another hour, and others he would just stuff his face in a pillow and listen as he gave himself time to wake up. 

His son's peace didn't last very long though. Not even two weeks after Peter returned from Europe, and he was out patrolling when Wong called him into the living room where he had the tv on. 

"Stephen! You need to see this!"

The Sorcerer Supreme sighs and closes his book as he stand sand makes his way to the living room and he freezes at what he sees on the news. A video of Quentin Beck framing Spiderman for his murder, and it got worse. Beck had revealed his identity, so a picture had followed Peter's name.

"No...no...no. _Shit._ " Stephen curses. "Where's Peter?"  
"On patrol. Stephen...this is all over the city." Wong says.  
The doctor digs his phone out of his pocket and calls Peter, sighing with relief when the teen answers almost immediately. "Peter-"  
"It's all over the place Mom. There was a crowd by me when it came on and they started yelling so I had to hide--"  
"Can you get home?"  
"N-Not without being seen." Peter stammers out.  
"Where are you?"  
"At Mr. Delmar's. He's helping me and keeping the press away."

That was all Stephen needed to make a portal to Peter's location. He and the teen had gone there to eat once since Peter wouldn't shut up about the sandwiches, and Stephen ended up being a fan as well. Mr. Delmar was a good man, so it was no surprise he was helping Peter.

The teen steps through almost immediately, only pausing to thank the bodega owner (and bless that man for sending Peter off with some sandwiches for them and wishing him good luck), and Stephen quickly closes the portal before leading Peter to the couch and sitting down. The teen throws his mask onto the coffee table and rests his head in his hands until Stephen pulls him into a hug.

"Do I have to skip town?"  
Stephen scoffs gently. "No. You're safe here."  
"Peter...are you hurt?" Wong asks and the teen shakes his head.  
"No. I don't think so."

Peter slowly pulls away and watches the news replay the video footage and his identity reveal over and over until Wong turns the tv off.

"What do we do?" He whispers.  
"Look at me." Stephen demands softly and gently grabs his face when he does.

Peter was looking to him and Wong for help now. At the moment, they were his only allies besides Mr. Delmar, Ned, and MJ, but those three probably wouldn't be much help right now. There were also the remaining Avengers, Pepper, and Happy, but even if they said anything, people might only take it with a grain of salt right now. Peter fought beside them after all. That didn't matter right now though. Stephen and Wong were with him _now._

"Whatever it takes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the rushed ending. >_<


End file.
